Summer Fun

Guest: Turkey (Rockford, IL)
Date of Stay: 06/20/11 Review Submitted: 07/07/11

We stayed at this awesome house from June 20-27th. From the moment we saw it from the road to the drive to the house we were awe struck. What a beautiful house and setting. We cooked out almost everynight and sat around outside just relaxing after a long day of activities listening to the "night life" come alive in the surrounding woods. Jackie was an awesome person to work with - from offering advice from where to shop to where the nearest grocery store was - which was all very helpful in allowing us to enjoy our time without worrying about the little details of the surrounding area. It was also great to have a washer and dryer on site - plus all the other amenites of home which, allowed us to relax and enjoy! We will definatly be back in the future!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

New Year Snow!

Guest: Woody4UK (California)
Date of Stay: 12/27/10 Review Submitted: 02/03/11

Second year in a row that we have chimed in the new year at this property; top shelf accommodations and fantastic logistics from Marianne! Our family has a penchant for discovering new places each year, but this property drew us back AND we discovered new things. Don't forget to hike Tent Rock National Monument (between ABQ and Sante Fe)...absolutely amazing hike in the midst of a snow storm!

Recommended for:Pet owners, adventure seekers, sightseeing, families with young children.

White Christmas

Guest: Laura (Northern California)
Date of Stay: 12/20/10 Review Submitted: 01/01/11

This house provided a wonderful setting for our family Christmas get together. The open floor plan is perfect for a large gathering. Decor is beautiful - actually better than shown in the listing photos. Kitchen is very well appointed and conveniently laid out. Appreciated having WiFi and broadband internet connection and thanks for being pet friendly.

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Summer Stay

Guest: Matt and Syd (Bethel Island,CA)
Date of Stay: 06/24/10 Review Submitted: 07/07/10

My family recently stayed at this beautiful house and it fit us perfectly. There were 11 of us and we shared wonderful memorable meals together at the large table. We experienced exciting afternoon thunderstorms and quiet mornings with hot coffee on the large patio and listening to the birds. We also enjoyed a fire at night in the chimera and toasted marshmallows on the cool nights. We enjoyed the casual hike nearby and the more strenuous hike up to the top of the hill that overlooks Albuquerque and surrounding areas. One thing that could have enhanced our cooking options would have been a full size barbeque rather than the large tabletop one. However the double ovens were a suitable alternative. Lastly, the proximity to Albuquerque was superb. All arrangements/communications were professional and consistent with our expectations. A fabulous experience!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Loved It!

Guest: Mom w/ 3 kids (San Antonio TX)
Date of Stay: 06/20/09 Review Submitted: 04/08/10

We had a family reunion and this was a great location. My family stayed in the casita, nice for 1 adult and 3 kids. It was a nice place to relax after a day in town. It gets pretty dark at night since you are away from town but the star gazing was great! Evenings we also spent around the chimenea catching up with family and the large dining table was good for family dinner. We visited Old Town, Atomic Museum, Sandia Peak and Santa Fe on our visit. We did some hiking nearby. The kitchen was nicely stocked with cookware and dinnerware. Good for a family reunion!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

First VRBO rental and we picked the best!

Guest: Greg and Colleen (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 02/26/10 Review Submitted: 03/29/10

Our first experience with a VRBO rental and we think we picked the best. The home and location were beautiful. We loved the master bedroom with the high windows, watching the full moon and stars move across the sky at night and listening to the coyotes howl. Even though the weather was a little colder then we would have liked after coming from Wisconsin and expecting 70's, as soon as the sun came out it was still very comfortable sitting on the patio with a hot drink. The home had everything we needed for a weeks stay. Marianne our host, was so helpful in letting us know the closest or best shopping and restaurants, not to mention all the sights to see in the area. We would love to do a family reunion here and there's certainly more than enough room especially with the casita. We look forward to returning, maybe in fall this time. If you want a great getaway location but still close enough to activities and attractions, this is it!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Guest: Regina, Linda, Cindy (Rensselaer, IN, CA, Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 03/16/10 Review Submitted: 03/16/10

This was a wonderful home and Casita for our families from IN, IL, CA and FL to meet and have a great week. The house was awesome with room for everyone. The FL family had not seen snow in 3 years. They made a nice snowman. All of us enjoyed the light snow a couple of mornings. We had snow up at the house and 50 degree weather in ALQ for all the fun things like ballooning and Segways. We all love to cook which we did every day. We try to find a house out of the ordinary for our vacations. This house fit the bill and had everything we needed and wanted. Marianne was a great hostess. We were very pleased. The dining table accommodated all for food and games. Could not have asked for a better place with wonderful scenery and all the conveniences we needed.

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Guest: Penni1 (San Antonio, Tx)
Date of Stay: 02/21/10 Review Submitted: 02/21/10

We were so LUCKY... When we arrived we had just gotten 12+ inches of snow which made the trip even better! The house was incredible and the scenery beautiful! We are definitely going back in the summer, where we can hike the trails and enjoy the outdoors more! We rented the house and the casita, which was awesome within itself! Thanks Marianne for everything!

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Guest: Chris (Albuquerque)
Date of Stay: 01/01/10 Review Submitted: 01/01/10

We stayed two separate times in this lovely home within the last two months. We were relocating to Albuquerque from the UK and the first time we stayed was while house hunting. The house was a fabulous retreat for us at the end of busy days. The location is so beautiful with a host of wildlife and the most incredible views from the living area. The kitchen has everything you would need and we would often just stay in and cook because everything was so comfortable Marianne is a great source for information such as the best places to visit and the most scenic routes to take. She is just an email or phone call away for any advise needed and having an office complete with printer was so convenient to us while we were in the process of buying our house. We loved the property so much we came back in November for another 10 days while closing and just to rest from the exhaustive relocation. Having rented several properties through VRBO this has been by far our best experience and I have recommended this house to friends who would like a mountain home experience with the convenience of being only 20 mins from Albuquerque.

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Guest: Diane Lee (Odessa, Texas)
Date of Stay: 12/27/09 Review Submitted: 12/27/09

We enjoyed Christmas this year at this beautiful home in the mountains. The home was awesome and the view beautiful. We played in the snow, hiked up the mountains, had many fun games at the dining table and just relaxed and enjoyed. I would highly recommend this home to anyone seeking a relaxing getaway!

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